1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid ejection apparatus, a representative example of which is an ink jet recording device, includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid. A liquid ejection head typically includes a silicon substrate having energy-generating elements that generate energy to eject liquid and an ejection port forming member that defines ejection ports, from which liquid is ejected, on a front surface side of the silicon substrate.
Some ejection port forming members are formed of an organic material or an inorganic material. U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,856 discloses a liquid ejection head including an ejection port forming member formed of an inorganic material in which the ejection port forming member also serves as flow path wall members and in which the flow path wall members form liquid flow paths. The ejection port forming member and the flow path wall members are referred to as nozzle members. As is the case of the liquid ejection head disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,856, when the nozzle members are formed of an inorganic material, swelling of the nozzle members with liquid can be advantageously suppressed.
The liquid ejection head disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,856 is manufactured by the following processes. First, a resin and the like are coated on the substrate and patterning is carried out thereon such that a pattern-forming material for the liquid flow path is formed. Next, a layer of inorganic material is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) so as to cover the pattern-forming material. After that, ejection ports are formed in the deposited layer of the inorganic material, and, subsequently, the pattern-forming member is removed. The liquid ejection head in which the nozzle members are formed of an inorganic material is manufactured in the above manner.